US Elects 2020: Follow the election live on NQ

It’s a US election like no other with over 230 million citizens eligible to vote in the midst of a global pandemic.

More voters than ever have cast their ballots early or used mail-in votes meaning it may take longer than usual to find out who the winner is. The huge surge in postal voting this year has led to fears that some states just won’t have the capacity or experience to cope.

Add to that a situation in which different states have different rules on when and how to start counting postal ballots, and it starts to look like we may have to wait a few days for a clear winner.

But, the result – whenever it comes – will have far-reaching effects on the direction of the United States. There are deep divisions within the country on race, healthcare, the economy and the environment, and the election result may polarise the nation even further.

That was the pessimistic message from journalism students at Michigan State University who invited NQ reporters to join their class on the eve of polling day. They said it was difficult even to report on the election because the issues at stake were so sensitive and aroused such strong emotions. None of them thought the election would lead to a healing of these divisions.

Throughout the night, as polls close from East to West coast, NQ reporters will be bringing you the views and experiences of young voters in key battleground states. We’ve linked up with students in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Texas who’ve been on the ground reporting on the election campaign, seeing first hand how the big issues are playing out in different communities.

We’ll be explaining how the electoral college system works and why some states count more than others in a voting system very different from the UK’s.

We’ll bring you the latest news, analysis, projections and – if we’re very lucky – maybe even some actual results.